Lifting-jack.



UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

CALvlN W. TANNER AND EUGrENE` TANNER, OF COLUMBUS, TEXAS.

' L1FTINet-diatom Specification fof Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1906.

Application ned May 27,1905. serai No. 262,659.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CALVIN W. TANNER and EUGENE TANNER, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Colorado and Stateof Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lifting- Jacks,of which the following is a specilication.

The invention relates to improvements in lifting-j acks.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction oflifting-jacks and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive oneof great strength and durability capable of being operated by both ahorizontal and vertical movement of the operating device to enable it tobe operated with great ease in places where the ordinary lifting-jackcan be operated only with great inconvenience.

A further obj ect of the invention is to provide a lifting-jack of thischaracter having a double-acting oscillatory operatin device adapted toenable the liftingac to be either raised or lowered by each movement ofthe oscillatory operating device.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointedout in the claims hereto appended, itbeing understood that variouschanges in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of constructionwithin the scope of the claims may be resorted to Without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a double-actinglifting-jack constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 isavertical sectional view ofthe same. n Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectionalview. Fig. l is a detail sectionalA view illustrating the arrangement ofthe spring-actuated pawls or dogs of the ratchet mechanism. Fig. 5 is adetail perspective view of the removable head of the screw.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all theiigures of the drawings.

1 designates a standard having an enlarged base or lower portion andprovided with a central vertical opening 2, circular in crosssection,and receiving ak tubular member 3, having internal screw-threads andconstituting a nut for engaging a vertically-movable screw 4. Thetubular member, which is adapted to be rotated, as hereinafterexplainedeXtends entirely through the standard and has an enlarged upperportion 5, and

its lower end is provided with interior screwthreads 6, adapted toreceive a threaded plug or screw 7, which engages the lower face of thebase `or enlarged lower end of the standard, whereby the rotary tubularmember is retained in the central vertical opening of the standard. Thelower end of the base is hollowed out to receive the head of the screw7, which is squared to receive awrench but the head may bel of any`other polygonal shape. The upper end of the standard is counterbored toprovide a horizontal seat 8, which is grooved tov provide a recess foran annular series of antifriction-balls 9, and the enlarged upperportion ofthe rotary tubular member is provided with a shoulder having agroove 10, forming the upper wall ofthe ball-race and adapted to receivethe antifriction-balls, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of thedrawings. By this construction the tubular member is rotated with aminimum amount of friction.

The upper enlarged end ofthe rotary tubular member ornut is providedwith an integral horizontal gear 12, having inclined or beveled sur-teeth 13, which mesh with vertical beve -gears 14, located atvopposite sides of the standard and mounted on journals or stub-shafts15 of a sleeve 16, which is arranged on the upper end of the standard,the latter being recessed to receive the sleeve and to provide a suporting-shoulder 11 for the same. The stu -shaffts or journals may betubular, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 ofthe drawings, or of any otherdesired'construction, and they are su ported by braces 17, which alsoserve to o 'set the side gears from the standards. The side gears, whichmesh with the horizontal gear of thetubular member or nut, are adaptedto be alternately actuated by an oscillatory lever or frame 18, wherebythe screw is continuouslyrotated by the oscillation of the lever ormember 18 and is positively actuated during each movement of the same.

The side gears are provided at their outer faces with integral exteriorratchet-wheels 19, provided at intervals with teeth having shoulders attheir opposite edges and adapted to be engaged by spring-actuated dogsor pawls 20 ofthe oscillatory frame or lever 18.

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The oscillatory frame or lever 18, which is approximately U-shaped, iscomposed of two sides and a transverse connecting portion, the sidesbeing provided with openings 21 for the reception of the outer portionsof the stub-shafts or journals 15, which extend laterally from thestandards. The spring-actuated dogs or pawls are located within suitablebores or openings of the sides Vof the oscillatory frame or lever, andthey are provided at their outer ends with suitable knobs or handles 22for enabling them to be operated to reverse the movement of the screw.The stems of the pawls or dogs 20 are reduced to receive coiled springs23, which are interposed between suitable shoulders 24 of theoscillatory frame or lever 18 and the engaging heads of the pawls ordogs, as clearly l illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. Thepawls or dogs are beveled and reversely arranged, one pawl or dog beingbeveled at its upper face and the other pawl or dog being beveled at itslower face. By this construction one of the side gearswill be positivelyactuated during both the upward and downward movement of the oscillatoryframe or lever, so that there will be no lost motion in the operation ofthe lifting-jack.

Suitable indicating-notches 25 are provided at the knobs or handles 22for enabling the position of the engaging portions to be readilyascertained at a glance. The springactuated dogs or pawls are alsoprovided adjacent to the knobs or handles 22 with squared portions 26,which are engaged by pivoted locking devices 27, consisting of plates orpieces secured to the outer ends of the oscillatory frame or lever byscrews 28 or other suitable fastening devices and provided at theirouter ends with notches or recesses 29, adapted to receive and fitsnugly against the squared portions of the springactuated dogs or pawls,whereby the latter are held against accidental rotation during theoperation of the lifting-j ack. The locking devices do not interferewith the necessary reciprocation of the spring-actuated pawls or dogs,and the squared portions are of Sullicient length to avoid becomingdisengaged from the locking devices through such longitudinalreciprocation.

The oscillatory frame or lever is preferably constructed of separatepieces, as shown, the pieces being suitably secured together and adaptedto be taken apart to enable the oscillatory frame or lever to be readilyremoved from the journals or stub-shafts 15. The transverse connectingportion of the oscillatory frame or lever is provided with an opening30, adapted to receive a lever or bar to enable the frame or lever to bereadily operated when considerable power is required for lifting aheavyweight. The frame or lever is oscillated vertically to operate thescrew, and the same movement raises and lowers the screw, thespring-actuated dogs or pawls being simply adjusted or reversed tochange the direction of movement of the screw. /Vhen the screw isoperated by the oscillatory frame or lever, it is held against rotationby the friction resulting from its engagement with the load to beraised, and for this purpose it is provided with a removable head 31,consisting of a block secured to the verticallymovable screw by means ofa suitable fastening device, preferably consisting of a horizontalset-screw 32. The upper end 33 iits into a central opening 34 of thehead 31, which is provided at its upper face with tapered projections35, forming a roughened surface adapted to frictionally engage the loadto be lifted. The head, although shown square in the accompanyingdrawings, may be of any other desired shape, as will be readilyunderstood. The lifting-j ack is provided adjacent to the head with anenlargement 36, forming a shoulder or seat for the head 31 and providedwith openings 37, adapted to receive a bar or lever for enabling thelifting-jack to be operated by a horizontal movement. When thevertically-movable lifting-jack is held against rotary movement throughits frictional engagement with the load to be raised, the friction isconiined to the plane of the threads and is thereby reduced to aminimum. The bar or lever is adapted to be introduced into one of theopenings 37, and it is swung horizontally to partially rotate the screw,and by changing it from one opening to another the screw may becontinuously rotated.

By employing horizontally and vertically movable operating devices thelifting-j ack is adapted to be conveniently operated in places where anordinary lifting-j ack can only be operated at great inconvenience, andthe oscillatory frame or lever enables the lifting-jack to beconveniently operated below the surface of the ground with a minimumexcavation, it being only necessary to excavate sufliciently to providea hole for the jack and to clear a space for a comparatively slightoscillatory movement of the frame or lever.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a gear havinginternal threads to form a nut, a screw engaged by the threads of thegear and movable through the latter, side gears meshing with the saidgear, and an oscillatory operating member provided with means foralternately actuating the side, gears, whereby the nut will becontinuously rotated and actuated at each movement of the oscillatoryoperating device.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a gear havinginternal threads to form a nut, a screw engaged by the threads IOO ofthe gear and movable through the latter, side gears meshing with thesaid gear, and an oscillatory operating member provided with means foralternately actuating the side gears, whereby the nut willbecontinuously rotated and actuated at each movement oi the oscillatoryoperating device, said means being reversible for changing the directionof the movement of the screw.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a horizontalgear having internal screw-threads to form a nut, a screw engaged by thethreads of the gear and movable through the latter, vertical side gearsmeshing with the horizontal gear, an oscillatory operating device, andratchet mechanism for enabling the side gears to be alternately actuatedduring the oscillation of the said operating device, whereby the nutwill be continuously rotated and actuated during each movement of theoperating device.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a standard, ahorizontal gear having internal threads, a screw engaged by the threads,vertical side gears provided with ratchet-wheels, an oscillatoryoperating device, and reversely-arranged spring-actuated dogs engagingthe ratchet-wheels for alternately actuating the same.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a standard, ahorizontal gear having internal threads, a screw engaged by the threads,vertical side gears provided with ratchet-wheels, an oscillatoryoperating device, reversely-arranged spring-actuated dogs engaging theratchet-wheels for alternately actuating the same, and locking devicesfor securing the dogs in their adjustment.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a standard, ahorizontal gear having internal threads, a screw engaged by the gear,side gears meshing with the horizontal gearandprovidedwithratchet-wheels, and an oscillatory operating deviceprovided at opposite sides with pawls or dogs for engaging theratchet-wheels, said operating device having an intermediate opening toreceive an operating bar or lever.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a standardhaving a longitudinal opening and provided at the bottom with a recess,an interiorly-threaded tubular member extending through the standard andenlarged at the top, a fastening device engaging the lower end ofthetubular member and having a head located within the said recess andarranged to engage the lower end of the standard, a screw engaged by thetubular member, and means for rotating the latter.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a standardhaving a longitudinal opening, an interiorly-threaded tubular memberextending through the standard and provided with a horizontal gear,vertical side gears meshing with the horizontal gear, an operatingdevice provided with means for engaging and actuating the side gears,and a screw engaged by thev tubular member and extending above the sameand provided at the top with engaging means adapted to hold it againstrotation.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a standard, asleeve fitted on the exterior of the standard and provided with oppositejournals, an interiorly-threaded tubular member mounted within thestandard and having an exterior horizontal gear, vertical side gearsmounted on the said journals and meshing with the horizontal gear, ascrew engaged by the tubular member, and an oscillatory operating deviceprovided with means for actuating one of the side gears at each movementof it.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of a standardhaving a longitudinal opening, an interiorly-threaded tubular memberextending through the standard and provided with a horizontal gear,vertical side gears meshing with the horizontal gear, an operatingdevice provided withv means for engaging and actuating the side gears, ascrew engaged by the tubular member and extending above the same andprovided in its extended portion with openings t'o receive the operatingdevice, and a head removably fitted on the screw and provided withprojections adapted to hold the screw against rotation.

In testimony whereof we ai'lix our signatures in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CALVIN W. TANNER. EUGENE TANNER.

Witnesses: Jos. V. FRUKA, CHAs. J. G. LEESEMANN.

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